Valve fixture



March 12, 1929.

J. G. ZOLLEIS VALVE FIX TURE Filed April 5, 1928 Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

* f'u NirEnf-sTATEs JOHN G. zoLnEIS; F GE R AN TOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

' VALVE FIXTURE.-

Application filed. April 3,

This invention isan improvement in valve fixtures, and moreparticularlyin ceramic vfixtures. j;

Valves designed for use in housing constructions, such for-instance as are used in bath rooms, kitchen sinks, and the like,.include usually a casing adapted toextend through'an opening in .a wall, a valve- ,stem, and an. escutche'on; for providing a finish where the. stem and easing extendthrough the wall.

.Heretofore, thevalve stem, and that part of the casing which extends beyond the escutcheon, have been of metal, which chips and tarnishes easily, and is difficult to keep clean. H

One of the primary objects of the present invention, is'to provide an allceramic finish for that part of the ,valve which isexposed,

and wherein all of the metal parts, and con' necting parts are concealed. 1

. Another object isthe provision of-an escutcheon of ceramic material havingan imperforate display surface, and means within the escutcheon. for holding it inclose contact with the wall,-

Another object is: tonprovide' an,inex pensive. construction offering a minimum of cracks and crevices for the receptacle of foreign matter. I

With; these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combinationofparts fully describedv hereinafter, illustrated in. the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that vazrious changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope ofgthe claims, may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit of the ;inveni3l011.:" 1 v? In the drawings forming: a part hereof Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a wall with fixture in place. i

-Fig. 2 isa front view of the fixture.

Figs 3; is Fig.1.. Fig.4 is a sectional view showing an alternate construction;

In the present embodiment the inven- --tion, the fixture includes a valve casing 1, of

usual construction, which is adapted to-extend through an opening in a wall-2; The fixture includes also a valve-not shown, operated bya stem 3, which in thepresent' in- ;with the large end abutting the dfiace of the provided. for operatingthe valve, and this handle has a stem 8 which extends intothe 192s. Serial No. 266,969.

stance, is polygonal in. cross section, An escutcheon 4c is provided of ceramic material,

such as porcelain, thelsaid escutcheon being substantlallyv frusto-conical as shown,: and

wall.

- The-'large end of theescutcheonihas inwardly extending ledge or shoulder. 5, fornnng a base to bear against-thewall, and

thisbase has an opening throu hwhich the valve casing passes. Prefer-a ly the arrangement is such as to prevent relative angularmovement of the casing and vescutcheon. In the-v present I instance the .casing is flattened at opposite sides at the end adacent to the escutcheon, asshown at 6, and the openingin thebase of the escutcheon is similarly shaped. a

A handle 7 also ofceramic material is small 7 end of the escutcheon. 1 The \handle has also an axial opening 9,.which is shaped tofit the stem 3, so thatjwhenfthe fsteniuis in the opening it will turniwithithe handle, f

thus to open and closetheyalve;

The stemlis connected: to the-handle means ofa screw 10, which passes through an opening inithe handle, .and engages ,a threaded opening in theqaendfof theEs-tein. The. handle has a recess .11 for receiving the head-of the screw, and referring to Fig. 2, it will be noticed that this recess isnot circular, ,so that g'the-screw cannot turn with respect. to the handle when the head'isin thereeess. r The opening. 12 in the handle for the stem 3 is of a;.lengthsuch that .it willreceive practically all of thestem when th'eiend of the stem 8 abuts the-valve casing. That, is, the connection is such that the handle ,may be. shoved in untilthe portion abuts. the small end. of the esoutcheon, and the. I connection between the handle and the .valve stem is maintained. whatever the position. a section onthe line 3-3 of.

of thepa'rts; 1

:escutcheon between the base 5 and the stem 8 of the-handle, and the springacts normally to 1presstthe escutcheon. toward the wa-ll,-and to hold it in close .contactwith the wall. The end of the stem portionof the handle is rabbeted or stepped asshown at 14,

E. and one end of the spring 13 seats in the rabbet; The other end has an angular ,por-

tion seating in a notch in the bottom of the escutcheon. Thus any angular movement of the spring is prevented.

The improved fixture provides for an all ceramic finish in valves of every character, no metal parts except the head of the screw -1() beingvisible. If for any reason itis necessary to remove the handle, it may be pressed toward the wall, thus bringing the head of the screw into accessible position for turning. Whenthe screw is released, the

handle may be withdrawn and the escutcheon removed. This leaves all ofthe casing parts accessible. v

' In the alternate construction'shown in Fig. 4, the casing 20 passes through the wall'21,

and the stem 22 of the valve is threaded at of the stem.

An escutcheon 27 also of ceramic material,

"and similar to the escutcheon l, encircles v enable turning movement of the valve the casing and the stem 24 of the handle. A spring 28 is arranged in the escutcheon, bearing at one end against the bottom thereof,

and at the other againstthe stem2tof the handle, the said stem being annularly shouldered as shown at 29,'to fit within the end of the spiral spring. The relative arrangement of escutcheon and valve casing is the same as that shown in Fig.1.

The'stem 24 of the handle is freely slidable in the escutcheon, and in assembling the parts, the escutcheon is first placed, the spring inserted, after which the nut26 may be engaged with the threaded end of the stem 22, the spring being compressed for this purpose. The handle may be easily released from theistem when desired, by turning it in the proper direct-ion' However, the engagement is always sufiiciently firm to Without releasing the connection; i In both constructions, the springs 13 and 28 hold the escutcheon firmly against the wall, the handle of the valve providin an abutment against which the outer end oi? the spring bears,-and an all ceramic finish is 2 provided for the fitting. Such finishes ofi'er obvious advantages in theway' of appearance, ease of cleaning, and elimination'of tarnishing, chipping, and the like.

The improved fitting is especially adapted to compensate for difierent thicknesses of wall; It will be evident that'the arrangement enables the fitting to be used with a composition wall, for instance, such as beaverboard, or with a heavy tilewall.

When the handle is slidably connected with the stem as in the Fig. 1 construction,

wall throughwhich the stem and easing prothe spring holds the handle at the limit of its outward movement, and it is apparent that the function ofthe parts above mentioned is independent of the escutcheon. That is, the spring would-hold the handle at the limit of its outward movement by engaging the wall instead of the end of the escutcheon. In the Fig. 1 construction, the spring operates to hold the handle at the limit of its outward movement, and to press the escutcheon to the wall. 7

What is claimed as new is a 1. An all ceramic fitting for the protruding partof a valve casing and valve stem,

including a handle for connection with the stem, and an escutcheonto encircle theprotruding part of the casing, the handle being slidable in the outer end of the escutcheon, and resilient means within the escutcheon between it and the'handle to hold the escutcheon to the Wall.-

2. An all ceramic fitting for the protruding part of a valve casing and valve stem, including anescutcheon to seat against the trudes, a handle slidable in the escutcheon, means to connect the handle with the stem to constrain the stem to turn with the handle, and a'spring housed in the escutcheon between it and handle to hold the escutcheon to thewall. V

3. Mechanism of the character specified, comprising in combination witha valve casing adapted to-exten'dthrough a wall, a ceramic escutcheon adapted to encircle the protruding end of the casing and a ceramic .handlerhaving a stem for actuating a valve and fitting andslidable in the outer end of the escutcheon, means for connecting the handle to the stem, and a spring between the handle and the escutcheon for holding the escutcheon in closecontact with the wall.

4. An all ceramic fitting for the protruding part of a valve casing andvalve stem, j

including a handle for connection with the stem, and an escutcheon to encircle the protruding part of the casing, the handle being slidable in the outerend of the escutcheon, resilient means within the escutcheon between it and the handle to hold the escutcheon to the wall, and means for connecting the handle to the stem. 7 3

5. An all ceramic fitting for. the protruding part of a valve casing and valve stem, including a handle for connection with the stem, and an escutcheon to encircle the protruding part of the casing,the handle being slidable'in the outer endv of the escutcheon, resilient means within the escutcheon between it and the handle to. hold the escutchcon to the wall, and means 'for preventing angular movement of the escutcheon with re- 'spect to the casing.

eluding a handle for connection with the stem, and an escutcheon to encircle the protruding part of the casing, the handlebeing slidable in the outer end of the escutcheon, resilient means within the escut'cheon between it and the handle to hold the 'escutcheon to the wall, and means to prevent angu able with respect to each other, and resilient means between the escutcheon and the handie for holdingthe escutche on against the wall, said means housed within the fitting.

and valve stem, including a handle .for connection with the stem and an escutcheon to encircle the protruding part of thecasing and bear against the wall, said elements slidable with respect to each other, and means between the escutcheon and the handle for holding the escutcheon againstthe wall, said means housed within the fitting.

9. In an all ceramic fitting for a valve' casing and valve stem, a handle slidably connected W1th the stem, means in connection with the handle and stem for limiting outward movement of the handle, an escutcheon to encircle the protruding part of the casing and bear against the wall, the escutcheon and handle slidable with respect to each other, and a common means pressing the escutcheon and the handle in opposite directions for the purpose specified.

10. In an all ceramic fitting for a valve casing and valve stem, an escutcheon to en-' circle the protruding part of the casing and bear against the wall, and means in connection with the handle andsten for limiting outward movement of the handle, and a spring engaging the handle at one endv and adapted'to engagethe wall at the otherto V press the handle. away from the wall.

11. In combinationwith a valve casing and valve stem, a handle for connection with the stem, and an escutcheon to encircle the protruding part of the casing, said escutcheon and casing being slidably connected, andmeans' housed within the escutcheon between it and the handle to hold the escutcheon to the wall,the connection between the stem and the handle being-housed and concealed by the handle and escutcheon. 8. An all ceramic fitting for a valve casing 12. An all ceramic housing for the exposed part of a valve casing and valve stem,

including ceramic elements to house the said parts having a sliding fit one within the other at their adjacent ends, and normally,

An all ceramic housing for the ex apart, the handle slidable on the stem, and

means to limit the outward movement thereof. v

Signedat Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, this twenty-ninth day of March, A. D. 1928.

JOHN G. ZOLLEIS. 

